Love from a Broken Soul
by TwiHearts.Emily
Summary: My first attempt at an all-human Edward/Bella romance story. Based in Chicago, Bella and Edward meet by a twist of fate and connect over their equally heart-shattering stories.  Suspense, violence, death, and lots of hot juicy LEMONS
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own the names in this story - credit to Stephanie Meyers**

**This is the first of many chapters on a little project of mine. The idea came to me in large chunks, so it's just a matter of writing it all down. I'll update as much as possible. Reviews are welcome, and any opinions for direction!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

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His arm rose hastily into the air and just as quickly came down towards me, the backside of his hand connecting with the left side of my face. My eyes shut instinctively just before the hit connected but it wasn't enough to numb the pain. The force caused me to lose my balance and I fell to the wooden floor beneath me. Tears immediately broke through my eyes as my hand gently cupped my face. I looked up to him with a blurred vision and found my mother sitting on the edge of her small arm chair, looking between me and her deranged husband hovering dominantly over me. My eyes pleaded to her for help, but she had a defeated look upon her face and I knew she would not come to my rescue. My heart was pumping with adrenaline as I stumbled to my feet, quickly grabbing my jacket and bursting through the door and into the dark night.

I jogged a few blocks before I felt the urgency to flee fade away. I slowed to a walk and put my hand to my cheek. I could feel the heat radiating from the wound and a warm sticky liquid drip onto my hand. I reached the tip of my tongue to my lip and instantly tasted the un-pleasurable flavor of blood. I shoved my hands into the thin cotton pockets of my grey jacket, my hands shaking rapidly. My breathing struggled to steady itself as I continued my walk with no intended destination. It was a typical cold night during November in Chicago, and my jacket wasn't doing much to protect me from the frigid wind. After twenty minutes of walking, I ducked into the first bar I found. The warmth immediately engulfed me and my tensed muscles relaxed in response. I rubbed my frail arms through the thin cotton fabric as I walked to the counter to take a seat on the rickety stool. The lack of customers allowed me to be served immediately, and I wrapped my fingers around a cool bottle of beer. The malty liquid pierced my lips, numbing my wound and sliding gracefully down my parched throat. I could feel the warmth spread through my body and the sensation sent goose bumps to my skin. The talking and laughing surrounding me quieted as I looked to see the cause of it. On a very small stage in the corner of the bar, a young man was adjusting an acoustic guitar on his lap, a small guitar pick resting in between his perfect set of lips. The concentration on his face as he tuned the strings according to the song he desired to play was enchanting. I found myself scanning every inch of it, noticing the modest stubble growing around his impossibly perfect square jaw, his cheek bones even more prominent as he bit down on the pick, and his gorgeous locks of tousled brown hair hanging just below his eyes.

I hadn't noticed that I had twisted completely around on my stool to gaze at him and once his gentle fingers pulled at the strings, I was transfixed. They worked together creating single cords of sound into one beautiful composition of music. After a few chords of playing, he rose his lips to the mic and a velvety voice rose with a passion that could have only come from one's deepest core. The words engulfed him; his eyes never rose to the crowd who were respectfully enjoying the music, humming at their seats and resting their heads upon their loved ones shoulders. I closed my eyes and listened to the words, letting them surround me and resonate inside of me. The mixture of his voice and the melody were a beauty I have never experienced. My body instinctively swayed to the song and when my eyes reopened, they immediately locked on the emerald green ones now fixed on me. A flush of heat broke out on my face, but I didn't look away. I realized that I couldn't. His song continued as our eyes stayed connected.

"My mama told me when I was young  
Said sit beside me my only son  
And listen closely to what I say  
And if you do this it'll help you some sunny day  
Oh, yeah it will

Oh, take your time, don't live too fast  
Troubles will come and they will pass  
You'll find a woman and you'll find love  
And don't forget that there is a someone up above

And be a simple kind of man  
And be something you'll love and understand  
Baby be a simple kind of man  
Oh, won't you do this for me son if you can?  
Then you can

Don't get your lust from the rich man's gold  
All that you need now is in your soul  
And you can do this, oh baby if you try  
All that I want from you my son is to be satisfied

And be a simple kind of man  
And be something you'll love and understand  
Baby be a simple kind of man  
Oh, won't you do this for me son if you can?  
If you can

Oh, don't you worry, you'll find yourself  
Follow your heart and nothing else  
And you can do this, oh baby if you try  
All that I want from you my son is to be satisfied

And be a simple kind of man  
Be something you'll love and understand  
Baby be a simple kind of man  
Oh, won't you do this for me son if you can?  
So baby be a simple, be a simple man  
Oh, won't you do this for me son if you can?"

Once he hit the final strings of the song, his eyes pulled from mine and smirked as the crowd burst into whistles and applause. He stood up and handled his guitar with great care as he set it against the wall and took an ill-tempted bow. I clapped with a look of awe on my face as he walked in my direction. My stomach jumped to my throat and as my face burned in response, I turned back to the counter and took a long swig of my beer. He stood at the counter not 2 feet away from me as the bartender greeted him with a job-well done nod and a cold beer. He smiled and took a seat, holding the beer in his long fingers and putting the rim to his soft flushed lips. I sat with my face straight, nerves and awkwardness consuming me, but when I felt his eyes on my face, I boldly took a peak over. His mouth twitched up into a dangerously breathtaking smirk, and I felt my legs melt under me.

"Hello." His voice was soft and struck me as being shy. It took me off guard from the loud passionate words of the song he had just finished singing. My eyes widened slightly and his smile grew. "Did you enjoy the show?" He asked, a hint of self-consciousness in his tone.

"Oh, yes, it was a beautiful song! You were wonderful!" The words blurted out a bit more loudly then I had wanted, and I turned to my beer with a smile of embarrassment on my face as a low chuckle escaped his lips. I turned to him and just knew my face was a bright shade of red.

"Thank you, I appreciate it." He said, keeping his eyes on me. "I'm Edward Cullen." His hand extended towards me, and I placed mine gently into his, our fingers molding perfectly into the other as we both effortlessly shook up and down.

"Bella…Swan." I stuttered on my words and rolled my eyes, then chuckled. "Sorry. I'm not the smoothest girl in the world." I confessed as our hands parted to my disappointment.

"Don't worry about it; I'm no smooth talker myself." He paused before taking another gulp of his beer. "So what brings you out tonight? I've never seen you here before." His question made my attention turn back to my lip and the soft throbbing of my cheek that had been momentarily numbed from distraction.

"I just needed to get out of my house, go somewhere I didn't know anyone…ya know? It was some pathetic attempt at being adventurous, I guess." I lied, but remained calm.

"Ah, it's not pathetic. You're out havin a good time, right?" He said encouragingly.

"I am now." I admitted sheepishly. I took the last gulp of my beer and set the empty bottle down.

"Would you like another?" He asked, ready to wave over the bartender, but I shook my head.

"One beer is usually my limit; it's not my favorite…it was part of my adventurousness." I joked, brushing my hand through my long locks of hair. He drank the rest of his as well and rubbed his hands on his thighs.

"So, do you have any other plans tonight?" His voice seemed to shake a bit at the question, and I thought to what awaited me at my house, realizing I had no desire to return there anytime soon.

"No, actually. I guess I didn't think too far ahead."

"Well, my friends are throwing a party a few blocks away from here. I was thinking of stopping by…would you like to come with me?" He smiled, waiting nervously for my response. I couldn't imagine him feeling more nervous than me.

"Yeah…I'd like that." His smile widened as he stood and put a finger up.

"Give me one minute." He walked back to the stage and put his guitar into a black case and slid his arms into a thick black coat. He walked with his guitar back towards me and tucked it away into a small room hidden by a door behind the bar before returning to my side. "Ready?" He asked as I stood and nodded.

He opened the door for me as I stepped out into the bitter air which had dropped in temperature since earlier. I immediately wrapped my arms together and squeezed them tightly.

"Don't you have a coat?" He asked surprised that anyone would face this weather without one.

"I left my house kinda fast…" I ended my sentence there, not wanting to bring up anything more about it. He put a cigarette to his lips as he motioned to take his coat off.

"Here, take mine." He had it half way down his arms when I put my hand on his arm to stop him.

"No then _you'll_ freeze! It's okay, I'll be fine." My body betrayed me as my teeth chattered together involuntarily as a cold breeze blew right into my face. My eyes started to water from the frigid temperature of it and Edward ignored my denial and threw the coat over my shoulders.

"I don't get cold so easily. Plus that bar is like 100 degrees, I'm still sweating. It's only a few blocks, I'll survive." He assured me.

While I looked at him in apology, I couldn't deny having his scent surrounding me wasn't enjoyable. I slid my arms through the holes and pulled the collar to my nose, breathing in his smell deeply. It was intoxicating – a mixture of cigarettes and peppermint. He lit his cigarette and looked to me.

"Do you smoke?"

"No."

"Does it bother you?" He asked with interest, probably wondering if he should put it out for my comfort.

"No…I guess not. I've never really given it much thought." I wrapped my hands together and extended them to my stomach as I watched him with a smile. Even smoking a cigarette, he was hypnotic.

He smiled and as we went to cross the next street, I tripped over my own feet, something I was all too used to, and caught myself before I fell to the concrete. He motioned to help me, but once I caught my footing I stood back straight and he backed away. My face burned once again, and I felt mortified. He chuckled lightly, and I could tell that he didn't want to offend me, but he just couldn't contain it. I looked to him and laughed myself; tripping for me was inevitable, I might as well get used to the idea he was going to see it more times tonight.

"I'm the biggest klutz in the world, I swear."

"Is that how you got that?" He asked directing towards my left cheek, and I turned it away from his sight and cupped it in my hand. My stomach turned with being ask the question I had been waiting for all night, and now I didn't know how to answer.

"Something like that…" That would have to do for now. He kept his eyes on my face, reading my expression and understanding he probably shouldn't push further, so he nodded and faced forward.

"It's right up here." He pointed, jogging a little to reach the door first. The music became very apparent as I closed in on the door. He lead me in and the dim lights and mass numbers of people made it hard to stay together, so he took the lead and casually grabbed my hand to keep me securely behind him. His touch was electrifying; it sent shock waves through my body and made my insides tingle.

We made our way through the crowds and found his friends. He nodded to them and shook their hands upon approaching them as their eyes turned to me.

"Guys this is Bella….Bella, this is Emmett, his girlfriend Rosalie, Jasper, and his girlfriend Alice." He introduced as they took me in. I could tell they were deciding if they approved or not, Alice beamed a warm welcoming smile at me as she said hello, but Rosalie looked at me like she didn't approve. I looked away from her instantly, her intimidating presence making me uncomfortable. Emmett was much bigger than Jasper and Edward; he looked as if he could play in the NFL. He wasn't as intimidating as his girlfriend though, he was more like a giant teddy bear. Jasper stood quietly next to Alice, smiling approvingly at me and looking to Edward with a look I could only imagine was some kind of boy language I wasn't allowed to understand.

"Well now that Edward is finally here, the party can get started!" Emmett shouted with excitement as he handed Edward a fresh beer.

"What would you like to drink, Bella?" He asked politely, and after seeing Alice and Rosalie drinking from red cups, I realized he learned long ago not all girls enjoy beer.

"Whatever they have is fine." I said, motioning towards the girls cups, and Emmett smiled, pouring a pink liquid from a jug into a cup for me. I took a sip and the fruity tastes agreed with my senses. "It's really good! What's in it?" The drink was mixed so well I couldn't detect any of the alcohol in it.

"Oh, a little of everything. Help yourself to anything you want, and most importantly, have fun!" His enthusiasm was contagious as the alcohol swarmed into my body, making what started out a tense night, a fun carefree one.

I spent the night conversing with Edward, exchanging embarrassing stories and getting to know him better while making a friendship with Alice and Jasper, and even Rosalie a bit. Emmett was a partier, and me being the newcomer, decided to slam me with drinks every ten minutes. I took what he gave me and soon my world started spinning. I wasn't much of a drinker; I usually saved it for special occasions or holidays, but I hadn't dabbled into the party scene as much as a regular 22 year old probably had, so the alcohol hit me pretty quickly. I could feel myself loosening up more and more as the drinks piled up. I was laughing at everything, dancing to the music, and having a great time. Edward had a smile on his face the entire time as he experienced a side of me not many people have seen. I thanked my lucky stars I wasn't a dramatic drunk or a sad drunk, I was a goofily happy one. It seemed I pulled everyone in with my cheery mood.

I don't know what time it was, but I'm sure it was early in the morning, because my eyes were struggling to stay open. Most of the party-goers had left and Edward decided it was time to go. He wrapped his arms around my back and secured his hand firmly on my hip to keep me on my feet. I wasn't stumbling around too bad, but after witnessing my lack of coordination earlier, he wasn't going to take any chances with a drunk Bella. The cold of the night didn't bother me anymore because my body temperature was so high from the alcohol. Edward wrapped his coat around me regardless. As we started walking, Edward realized he didn't know where he was taking me, and I started laughing.

"What's so funny?" He asked smiling, enjoying my goofy behavior.

"I really don't know." I said through laughter as I stood straight and rested my head against his body. My eyes were closed as I let him guide me through the streets.

"I really hate to take you home like this. Where do you live, Bella?' He asked, a hint of guilt on his words as he realized he had gotten me drunk and was now taking me home to my parents.

"Then don't take me home." I said quietly as I listened to his steady heartbeat.

"You're drunk, Bella. If you wake up at my apartment tomorrow morning you'll regret it." I could tell he was trying to look out for me, but as my memories returned, I remembered I really couldn't go home.

"No I won't. Edward…I can't go home." I said, my mood dropping drastically. He looked at me confused as I stopped and turned to him. I felt my buzz fading a bit, enough to have coherent thoughts.

"What do you mean?" He asked seriously.

"This…my face. You asked how it happened…it was my stepfather. I can't go back there. Not tonight." I said, tears pricking at my eyes. I quickly blinked them away as the cold breeze burned at my face. I huddled into myself, the cold now registering with my body. He pulled me back into his side and turned.

"I'll take you to my place." He said, and not another word was spoken as he walked me the rest of the way to his place.

I woke up early the next morning and felt better than I thought I would. I couldn't remember what had happened after making it to his apartment, but I was almost fully confident I passed out right away. I sat up and realized I was in Edward's bed and he was nowhere to be found. I sat with my own thoughts for a moment as I reflected on the previous night. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't fearful of Edward's reaction to my behavior from the night before. Truth be told, it felt good being able to let loose after such a long time, but it could have come at the cost of Edward. I felt ashamed and embarrassed and I decided to sneak out, if at all possible. I heard no sounds from the other room, so I was hoping he had stepped out or that he was sleeping. I put my grey jacket on and crept through the small apartment where I discovered him sleeping peacefully on the couch; his feet dangling off the too short length of the sofa. I smiled, but quickly refocused and made my escape.

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**The song I have Edward singing at the bar is the song "Simple Man" by Shinedown. When I listened to it, I immediately heard Edward's voice in the lead singers, and the version I have is just singing and the guitar, so it worked perfectly! Find the song and listen to it and let me know if you agree!**


	2. Chapter 2

The city was alive once again with the prospect of a new day. I blended into the crowd's of people walking the streets and discovered I knew the area I was in. It was a good distance from my own house, but that was okay; anything to put off going there any sooner than I had to. I decided to grab a quick breakfast and then made the hour walk home. It was a long walk, but it passed by much too fast. My stomach turned in anxious anticipation as I approached my door. I wrapped my frail fingers around the knob and turned it open. To my delight, my step father was out. My mother wrapped her arms around me in a warm embrace and whispered in my ear.

"Oh thank God you're okay! I was worried sick all night!" Her voice was shaky as we pulled away from each other and I looked into her eyes, pain reflecting from mine to hers.

"Are you okay?" I asked, examining her to make sure he hadn't turned on her after I left.

"Oh, I'm okay hun, I'm okay. James calmed down quite a bit after you ran off." Her eyes glazed with tears as she looked at my face, the faint bruise starting to form and the tiny gash on my lip. "I'm so sorry, dear." She crumbled into me, guilt washing over her. I held her, a mixed feeling of guilt and resentment boiling over myself.

"Yeah…I know you are." I said coldly. She pulled away and looked into my eyes, her tears falling freely now, and it pained me just the same to see my mother so sad. "You didn't do _anything_." I said in a harsh whisper as she choked on her tears.

"What _could_ I do, Bella?" She asked desperately. Surely no more than I could do; James was much bigger than us; even together we didn't stand a chance against him. I exhaled sharply and the smell caught my mother's attention. "You smell like alcohol. What did you do last night, Bella?!" She asked, eyeing me like any nosy mother would.

"I went to a bar, mom. It's not a big deal." I said rolling my eyes. She wasn't a fan of alcohol and hated the idea of me surrounding myself with strangers in a bar.

"And did you sleep at the bar?! They aren't open all night, Bella!" She was starting to scold me now, and I felt the desire to get defensive.

"Does it really matter, mom?!" I asked, pulling away from her and walking towards my room.

"Yes it does, Bella! I was up all night worried sick about you, and you _know_ what the bars are like around here, anything could have happened to you!" She followed after me, and I knew she wouldn't drop it until I gave her an answer.

"I met a guy, mom, alright?! I went to a party with him after a drink at the bar, and I spent the night at his place. Don't go twisting it into anything it's not, either, because nothing happened! I just had a fun night out, for once." I said as her face expression changed every time a new detail came out of my mouth.

"Bella, do you know how dangerous and STUPID that was?!" I stopped outside of the bathroom and held onto the doorframe, closing my eyes and breathing in and out to calm myself.

"About as dangerous as staying here and being at the mercy of James?" I asked with sarcasm and hostility. I knew it was a low blow, but it did what I wanted it to do; it made my mom drop it. I left her with a dumbfounded, yet defeated expression as I closed and locked the bathroom door behind me. I leaned back against the door and breathed deeply a few times before looking at my face in the mirror. The damage wasn't as bad as it had felt the previous night, but it still sickened me. I splashed cool water on my face before turning the shower on and letting the steam engulf me. I washed myself from head to toe, taking my time and enjoying the peace and quiet. I brushed my teeth twice and tried to groom my hair the best I could, but gave up on it pretty quickly. I pulled open my dresser drawers to find something to wear and settled with a black tank top and baggy grey sweatpants. While I was rolling the top of my pants down to shorten the length, I heard the door to our apartment open and close with heavy footsteps moving sloppily through the living room. My stomach dropped as I heard James' muffled voice. He didn't come to my room to bother me or question me, so I stayed put until my mother called me out for dinner. I hesitantly left the safety of my room and saw the back of James' ape-like posture at the dinner table. My mother was putting different assortments of food she had cooked onto the table and motioned for me to take a seat and eat my dinner.

I sat carefully as James kept his face down, stuffing food in and out of his large mouth. I tried to ignore him and began serving myself food when he looked up and set his cold sights on me. I ate without giving him any recognition and got through half of my vegetables before he spoke.

"So where did you end up last night?" He asked with a thick layer of annoyance.

I kept my head down as the smell of alcohol trailed from the line of his breath into my nose. "Nowhere in particular." I said into my plate, hoping he would drop the subject.

"Nowhere, huh? That's funny, cuz your mother told me you stayed at some stranger's house." The sarcasm was oozing from his words and I shot my eyes to my mother with a look of betrayal. My mother kept her eyes down as I shook my head and looked to James.

"And?" I challenged him. His teeth gritted together, but I kept my ground.

"You oughta' teach your daughter the meaning of the word "whore," Renee." He casually went back to his food as he crammed another fork full into his mouth. The word came out like a jab in the stomach. I could feel my blood boiling, but I reminded myself to stay calm. I clenched my fork tighter in my hand but ignored his comment. He could see I wasn't trying to pick a fight, so he kept pushing. "I got some friends I could introduce you to; it would be cheaper for them then going to a strip club."

"Common, let's not start a fight tonight, huh? Let's just enjoy our dinner together, okay?" My mother soothingly rubbed James' arm as she tried to deflect the situation, but he only shook her touch away.

Before I could stop myself, my fist was slamming down on the table. The action caused my mother to jump and James' eyes watched me carefully.

"The only reason I had to stay out last night was because I couldn't come back here! Did you forget about what you did…well it's kind of hard to, right? You can see it on my face!" I yelled, trying to defend myself but knowing I was just digging myself into a hole.

"That's what happens to ungrateful, spoiled brats." He huffed, no remorse or regret in his voice.

My mother kept her face down to the table as James continued to insult me. I knew I was being pulled into James' game, so I quickly took my plate into the kitchen to diffuse the argument. I slopped the leftover food into the garbage and let the plate fall hastily into the hollow sink. My hands clenched the sides of the counter as I breathed in and out as deeply as I could to calm down. Every word, every insult resonated in my head, repeating itself over and over. Before I realized what I was doing, I had a glass of wine in my hand that I was taking down in one large gulp. The bitter taste burned at my throat as a hand came over the one I had holding the glass.

"Bella, don't drink his wine!" My mother scolded quietly as she took the glass from my hand. I licked my lips and tried to take the glass back to pour myself another, but my mother wouldn't let me.

"I'm curious, mom; would it kill you to stand up for me, just _once_?" My words jabbed her as I knew they would, but by this time my nerves were shot with the anticipation of what may happen once James resurfaced. These nights often ended the same, and that realization had me on edge. I held the bottle as she ran the faucet to clean out the glass. I turned the water off and once again reached for the glass, but a slam from the dining room startled us both. Before I even realized she had dropped the glass, I heard it smash delicately on the ground by our feet. My stomach sank as my eyes darted from the shards on the floor to the room that contained the ravenous beast. In one fluid motion my mother grabbed a washcloth and bent to the floor, piling the sharp fragments on the cloth to hide what we had done. I bent down to help her as the corners pricked my fingers more than once, which I barely noticed as I heard the chair in the other room scratch against the floor and heavy footsteps approaching. My hands began trembling as only half of the broken glass was contained on the washcloth, and when I looked up again, his dark figure was in the door frame, his eyes bulging at the foul. I swept the pieces more frantically, gaining more cuts on my hands as James charged at me with purpose. I fell to my bottom and pushed against the floor to flee, trying to find my footing and run, but he caught me before I was able to. He took me by my bicep and jerked me to my feet, pointing to the mess while keeping his face inches from my own. The smell of alcohol swam from his breath and down my throat, and I flinched away as he grabbed my other arm and secured me in front of him.

"What the hell are you doing in here making messes?! I work my ass off to buy every piece of this house, and you carelessly destroy them?! What good are you?" He screamed, veins popping out of his neck and forehead. I looked away, glancing at his giant hands working as vices around my small fragile arms. I could see the color leaving my skin where he was squeezing and the pain followed suit.

"It was an accident James, I'm sorry. I'll clean it up." My mother chimed in with a thick layer of fear. I motioned towards the mess to show that I wanted to finish cleaning it up, but he jerked me back upright and pushed me into the cabinets. His arm swung into the air, and just as quickly came down towards me connecting with the left side of my face. Tears immediately broke through my eyes as my hand gently cupped my face.

"Cleaning it up won't replace it. How do you plan to do that?! Oh that's right, you're a whore now. You can go sell yourself to replace it. It's about the only thing you'd be good for!" As he lashed out at me, I stumbled away from him, but his anger was in full swing and I knew I wouldn't be getting away so easily. He kicked me from behind and I fell to the smooth tiled floor. I immediately got to my knees and crawled away, but he pushed me down flat and rolled me over as he stood high above me. He bent over as some form of courage or stupidity boiled over me.

"I'm not a whore!" I immediately regretted it once I felt the cool sting of another slap.

"James, please!" My mother screamed, grabbing his arm as tears streamed down her face. As she had him distracted, I shot up and went into the next room, attempting to reach my room. My face was hot from adrenaline and I could feel my heart pounding through my chest. James was in hot pursuit so I surrendered and turned to face him. I saw his fist coming towards my face in what seemed like slow motion. For what seemed to be unfolding so clearly in front of me, I wasn't able to react in time. When his fist connected to my cheek, a bright flash of white overtook my vision and when I regained my senses, I discovered I was sprawled out on the floor. My jaw was completely stiff and throbbing terribly, causing yelps of pain to escape my mouth. Tears were flooding my eyes as I backed up to the nearby couch.

"You want to keep yappin your jaw at me, you ungrateful little bitch?!" He said walking towards me as my mother jumped up and grabbed his arm.

"James, no, please! Leave her alone!" The desperation in her voice did not affect him whatsoever as he pushed her away and turned back to me. During this time, I stood up and while panic filled my body, anger took over my senses. I charged at him and slapped and punched pathetically, trying to inflict any kind damage on him I could. These feeble attempts only angered him more, and he wrapped his strong beefy arm around my neck. As I felt my throat close up, I knew he could easily kill me if he wanted to, and for a moment, I thought he would. Before I felt the consciousness lifting from me, his hold was broken as my mother swatted at him from behind. I sank to my knees and coughed painfully, trying desperately to get air back to my lungs. I looked up and watched him back hand her and when she fell to the ground, I saw him walking towards the door. Next to the door I knew sat a small basket with umbrella's in it, as well as a baseball bat _meant_ for intruders. When I made the connection that he was going to come after me with it, I stumbled to my feet and dashed to my room. I heard his heavy steps closing in behind me, but I managed to slam my door shut right in his face and lock it before he could push it open. I stumbled back as I watched the door shake violently. I could tell it was his fist knocking at the door, desperately trying to get to me on the other side. I turned quickly and grabbed a shoulder bag I used for overnight trips and threw random articles of clothing into it, stuffing as much as I could of what I needed before I could hear the hitting starting to break through the door. The banging had intensified, and I realized he was swinging the bat at the door to get it open. My vision came in and out of blackness from the lack of oxygen moments earlier as I struggled to open my heavy winter-protected window. The cold breeze blew back my hair as I swung my leg out, followed by my body, and then my other leg. My feet landed on the iron plate of the fire escape and I ran to the rickety stairs and made my descent. We were only about five stories up, but the urgency made it feel like fifty. I ran as fast as I could, my bag full of clothing bumping along to my uneven sprint as I ran to the first place that crossed my mind.

Ragged breaths escaped my mouth in short struggled spatters. The water coming from a late night thunderstorm cooled my aching body, my eyes losing sight due to the excessive water and my now swollen eye. My heart was pounding too hard for my body to handle, but while it begged me to stop, my survival instincts wouldn't let me. Adrenaline was pumping through my system causing me to shake involuntarily, making the forming bruises on my arms and shoulders ache painfully. My feet were bare due to my hasty escape, and now cut up from the rough pavement. I looked behind me in fear, but no one was there, only darkness. I felt okay slowing my pace a little, but still ran to create as much distance from the monster lurking somewhere in the distance who may or may not have been following after me.


	3. Chapter 3

Ragged breaths escaped my mouth in short struggled spatters. The water coming from a late night thunderstorm cooled my aching body, my eyes losing sight due to the excessive water and my now swollen eye. My heart was pounding too hard for my body to handle, but while it begged me to stop, my survival instincts wouldn't let me. Adrenaline was pumping through my system causing me to shake involuntarily, making the forming bruises on my arms and shoulders ache painfully. My feet were bare due to my hasty escape, and now cut up from the rough pavement. I looked behind me in fear, but no one was there, only darkness. I felt okay slowing my pace a little, but still ran to create as much distance from the monster lurking somewhere in the distance who may or may not have been following after me.

I stood outside of his door knocking frantically, praying he was home while occasionally looking behind my back to make sure I was still alone. Paranoia set in as I was hit with a ferocious panic attack. I felt myself crumbling as my knocking got more erratic. I jumped when the door swung open and I saw Edward standing there, his hair tussled in his normal messy style while wearing a simple grey shirt with dark blue sweatpants and bare feet. He seemed to be out of breath and obviously confused. His eyes widened a bit as he took in my injuries, his eyes darting behind me, and then back to my swollen, tear stained face.

"Bella! What happened?" He asked frantically. I walked inside and my bag dropped to my feet. I quickly closed the door and locked it behind me and put my head against the strong solid wood. My body was shaking and hysterical sobs broke from my chest. When I felt hands on my arms, I jumped and pushed away, but immediately turned and lunged into his chest, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist. He seemed to be attempting to process all of what happened in the past five minutes, and when everything had, he wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly. I clutched onto his shirt as the images of James flashed through my head; my sobbing intensifying at times until I was finally able to calm down. When he could feel my body relaxing in his arms, he pulled away to look at my face, delicately caressing my cheek into his long lanky fingers. My eye closed carefully at his touch, and he drew his hands away carefully with remorse.

"Bella…" He began, but I stopped him quickly.

"I'm so sorry Edward, I didn't know where else to go. I don't want to intrude in on you, I don't want to burden you…I just…didn't know where to go." I was determined to let him know he had the choice to tell me to leave him alone if he wanted, but he didn't. As a matter of fact, he did the complete opposite.

"No Bella, it's okay. I'm glad you came here." His hands were rested on my arms as I threw my hands onto his elbows. His eyes moved back to my new injury and a pain swept over his angelic face. "What happened?" He asked this very softly as he put two gentle fingers to my chin, tilting my head ever so slightly so the light reflected my face better.

"My stepfather…" My eyes filled with fresh tears as I momentarily relived the terror of his attack. I nodded my head as my eyes darted back and forth between Edward's as I could see him remembering what I had confessed to him last night. "He attacked me." I whimpered softly, a range of emotions burst into me like a ton of bricks. My weeping intensified and so he huddled me into his arms once again.

"Common." He guided me to the couch where we sat silently. Edward left me momentarily as I quickly wrapped my arms around my legs and huddled myself into a little ball, tilting my head down as fresh tears dripped onto my cold, wet body. I heard rustling with the freezer door and what sounded like ice cubes snapping out of ice cube trays. Before I knew it, he sat next to me holding out a bag of ice he had produced. I took it into my trembling fingers and set the bag carefully against my face, the piercing cold making me flinch in shock. I had to pull it away and press it back a few times to allow my skin to adjust to the temperature and once I kept it put, Edward turned towards me and put his hand on my knee.

"Are you okay? You know, all things considered." He corrected timidly.

"I think so." I looked to him and tried to express the most sincere look I could muster. "Thank you Edward, with all of my heart, _thank you_." I folded my hand over the one he had resting on my knee and squeezed, bending my fingers under his warm palm. "Life has been…a big mess lately. It's nice to have someone so sweet who…" I trailed off hesitantly, not sure what I was referring Edward as; what I _should_ refer to him as. I smirked and shook my head.

"Tell me about it." His soft voice was so alluring it actually made me want to pour my heart out to him. Fear told me to restrain from that though; fear of scaring him away.

"He wasn't always like this. When my mom first met him, he seemed okay. Their relationship happened so fast; they only dated for like 6 months before they got married. I don't think she ever really loved him, I think she was just lonely…desperate to have someone again." Painful memories began to break through the wall I had made for them, and I had to stop myself to regain control.

"What happened to your dad?" Edward's eyes pierced through mine and I knew he could sense a divorce hadn't been the culprit.

"My dad died of cancer when I was 19." Saying it out loud was harder to do then I thought it would be. I had dreaded saying these words for three long years. Edward's eyes dropped down as I saw remorse mask his face. "It's okay, Edward." I struggled to get words out as my throat tightened with tears. He looked back up to me and squeezed my hand.

"I'm sorry." I nodded at the phrase I have been hearing since his funeral.

"It's been a hard, confusing time…that's for sure. I think James is just so miserable with his own life that he has to make mine as shitty as he possibly can. He was laid off this year and he's working at a crappy job that he hates now; I'm just an easy target for him."

"Are you worried about your mom being there with him?"

"He doesn't seem to hurt her unless she intervenes with him beating on me; which is rare anyways. She'll be fine." I pulled the ice from my face and set it down on the coffee table at my feet. "I'm sorry I'm bringing this drama to you, really. You must think I'm crazy, I mean, we just met yesterday and I come running to you after my stepfather beats me up." I chuckled at how bizarre it sounded coming out of my mouth.

"I don't think you're crazy, Bella. In all honesty, when I woke up this morning and saw that you were gone, I was afraid I was never going to see you again." He said smiling at his confession.

"Really?"

"I'm glad you came back. We _may_ have just met yesterday, but I can tell you're a genuine person and you don't deserve to be treated like this." He motioned his hand to my face and gently slid his fingers down the bruised side of my cheek. "Besides, I can relate to the drama."

"What do you mean?" His expression changed drastically as his skin seemed to whiten at whatever he was now thinking about.

"When I was 17 my parents were killed in a car accident. A semi-truck hit them head on; it was a freak accident but, a year later, my brother ended up killing himself. He had been really depressed, and he just couldn't handle it anymore."

My stomach sank so low it began throbbing in pain. I felt a wave of nausea threaten my body but I shook it off as my hand covered my mouth in a horror I didn't know how to mask.

"Oh, Edward…" My words drifted off because there was nothing I could say. I knew the pain of losing a father, but not an entire family. I saw tears begin to form in his eyes as he remembered those painful memories. Words would not help, so I slid my hand to Edward's face. My thumb brushed at his fallen tears as my fingers formed around his perfect features. It continued down his neck and to his chest where his hand immediately twined around mine and I could feel his breathing getting ragged.

"No one should ever have to experience anything like that." I whispered sadly, my voice spilling over with injustice. I searched my mind for something to say, but the only relatable comparison I could make didn't match the grief of his at all.

"You did." He reminded me.

"To lose a father, compared to your _entire family_ though; it's not even close." My voice stayed very small as I tried to comprehend how one could still go on after such heartache.

"This is the most I've talked about it since it happened." He confessed without much emotion.

"Me too." A shiver worked through my body as my wet hair and clothes did little to protect me from the drafty apartment. He felt my shutter and snapped back into the present.

"Oh, I'm sorry! You must be freezing. Would you like to take a shower?" He could see my discomfort becoming more apparent and then noticed the dirt and cuts on my feet.

"That would be great. I'm a mess." I chuckled as I looked myself over as embarrassment swarmed my face.

"You're nothing less than beautiful, Bella." He chimed sweetly, and my face flushed.

My hand clutched the neck of his shirt and at a glance, I noticed a small bit of ink spilling out of the side on his chest. I squinted my eyes to focus on what it was, and then pulled back his shirt to reveal the entire thing. In a delicate font above his heart was the name "Michael." He looked up from my discovery, a pain sweeping over his face as I looked into his beautifully deep green eyes. Without a word, I turned my torso so my back was to him as I lifted my hair in one hand and gently pulled down the back of my shirt in the other, revealing a tattoo of my own which read "Beloved Father; 12-26-09." His fingers graced my neck delicately as it slid down to my lower back and around to my hip. I turned back to him, letting my hair fall back to my shoulders as he produced a look so alluring I could hardly breathe. My eyes drifted to his warm, inviting lips as I could feel myself inching closer towards them. I was close enough to the point I could feel his sweet breath entering my mouth, but just before our lips touched, there was a knock at the door that in the quiet apartment, seemed as loud as a blow horn. I jumped violently and looked to the door, fear oozing from my face as I immediately thought it was James who had followed me. I grabbed Edward's arm and shirt and pulled him to me, trying to keep him from going to the door. He looked to me with concern as he looked back to the door and lifted from my grip. I watched his every move as he crept to the door quietly and carefully, raising his eye to the peep hole to check who it was. He exhaled deeply and smiled towards me, letting me know it was okay.

"It's Alice and Jasper." He said unlocking the door to let them in. I jumped to my feet and looked for something to cover myself; it was one thing to allow Edward to see me like this, but another to let Alice and Jasper. In the midst of my panic, I heard Alice's voice chime cheerfully at my presence.

"Bella! I was hoping you'd be here!" She said skipping happily towards me and wrapping me in a hug. I was caught off guard but managed to get my hands in a pathetic hug of my own. She could feel the distance and backed up to look at me.

"How are y –" Her words cut off at the bruises on my face. Embarrassment flooded over me as I tried to hide myself, but she kept a firm hand on my arms. "Oh my gosh, Bella, are you okay? What happened?" For all she knew, I could have been in a car accident; no one would jump to the conclusion that someone could have beaten me up, let alone a family member. I looked away and looked to Edward for help as he was already in pursuit of me.

"Bella was just about to take a shower. Common, I'll show you where it is." He said guiding me through a tiny hall way and into a small dark room. He flipped the switch up and the little bathroom lit up. I walked to the toilet and sat on the closed lid, rubbing my arms as Edward rustled through cabinets and drawers to get me the things I would need. He handed me a fluffy blue towel and a new bar of soap. As he set the things down on the sink for me, he hesitated to leave. I approached him cautiously as he turned to face me. I looked up at his beautiful face and smirked as I reached up on my toes to gently kiss his cheek.

"Thank you, for everything."

"You're welcome." He was lost in my eyes as I was in his, but reality presented itself when Alice's voice rang through the small apartment. He backed away and flashed his flawless half smile as he left, quietly closing the door behind him. I turned into the room and looked around finding it to be typical of any normal man's bathroom; shaving gel and a razor sat on the sink as I saw finger prints scattered on the small mirror above. I smiled as I turned and removed my shirt and pants, both of which were now cold and damp. I turned the shower on to a steamy temperature and before I removed the rest of my clothing, there was a small knock at the door as it crept open.

"I brought you your bag, Bella." Alice's sweet voice was on the other side of the door as I opened it and took it in my delicate hand.

"Thanks, Alice." I smiled meekly at her as she returned a beautiful smile of her own.

"Let me know if you need anything."

The door closed and I was once again alone. I threw off my wet underwear and stepped into the shower, letting the water pierce my ice cold skin. The steam rose around me as I let the hot liquid soak my hair and drip over my battered face. I forced to make the shower distract me by doing my normal routine; soaping up, shaving, washing my hair. I stayed completely focused on cleaning off any reminders of this night. I watched the dirt and some blood trickle from my body and swirl down the silver opening by my feet. Once I felt adequately clean, I gently turned the knobs of the shower off. With the towel wrapped firmly around me, I went to the mirror and brushed my teeth and feebly attempted to rub moisturizer onto my aching face into a fogged up mirror. Once I was done with everything I could think of, I looked in front of me and felt jabs of nerves at my stomach. I took my trembling hand and wiped away the film on the mirror. I looked at myself and felt my stomach drop. My left eye was threatening to swell, though with the ice from earlier, I hoped it wouldn't go that far. Most of the damage was on my left cheek bone; two white bumps were highlighted by a purple and red bruise, perfect indentations of his knuckles. I still had a small cut on my lip from the previous night and a small fresh Velcro-like scrape on the top of my head. I gently rubbed it as my pounding headache became too much to ignore. My hand drifted to the back of my skull where a throbbing bump was now protruding out. My feet were in no better shape, but I couldn't stand looking at myself anymore. Every cut and bruise disgusted me and brought thoughts of how much I hated James, how much I resented my mother, but most of all, how much I missed my father. I could feel my body heaving in broken sobs as I stumbled to the ground to rummage through my bag. I quickly found the small bottle I was looking for and took out one small pill from its confines. I set the pill on my tongue as its bitter taste made me sick to my stomach before quickly washing it down. I rolled onto my bottom and cuddled into the wall as my crying intensified once again. Nothing around me existed at that moment, only thoughts of fear, anger, and sadness. I don't know how long I stayed like that, but I was soon snapped out of my daze by a quiet, gentle voice. I felt him sit next to me on the floor as his arms wrapped warmly around me. I collapsed into his chest and sobbed until my pill took me into a long, deep sleep.


End file.
